Disney World CP Attractions Question - Alum please help!

[Bennet21]

Hello everyone,

I was very excited to be accepted into the WDWCP as an Attractions cast member for Fall 2011. I'm graduating from college this May and wanted to do the college program as a way to take time off before going to graduate school. I'd heard amazing things about the program so I was very excited about it.

However, the amazing things I heard were from friends who did the Quick Food & Beverage Service...as I'm researching online, I'm hearing horrible things about working Attractions. I'm a generally positive person and I know the experience is all about what you make it - I'm not going into this blindly, I know it will be hard work and little pay - but how bad is it, really? I would love to hear experiences from Attractions alum because I'm very nervous now.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[Thrill Seeker]

Hello everyone,

I was very excited to be accepted into the WDWCP as an Attractions cast member for Fall 2011. I'm graduating from college this May and wanted to do the college program as a way to take time off before going to graduate school. I'd heard amazing things about the program so I was very excited about it.

However, the amazing things I heard were from friends who did the Quick Food & Beverage Service...as I'm researching online, I'm hearing horrible things about working Attractions. I'm a generally positive person and I know the experience is all about what you make it - I'm not going into this blindly, I know it will be hard work and little pay - but how bad is it, really? I would love to hear experiences from Attractions alum because I'm very nervous now.

Thanks for all your help!

I started off as Merch and then switched to attractions for my program extension. Attractions is one of those things you're either gonna love or hate. If you are an attraction nut, love to see how they work and enjoy getting into character to play along with the attraction theme/land theme, then you'll like attractions. Depending on where you end up, there are also some negative aspects. Especially if you end up at MK, you'll be dealing with a lot of guest complaints and situations. Any attraction with a height requirement of course requires you to check heights, so be prepared to deal with angry parents who are mad because their kid is less than a finger short. Attractions usually also work pretty long hours because park hours change a lot, especially at MK and Studios.

As long as you know what you are getting into and are ready for high guest volume and situations, you'll do fine in attractions.

P.S. I still work in attractions, so as you see, people do make it though the college program.

 

[Captain Hank]

I started off as Merch and then switched to attractions for my program extension. Attractions is one of those things you're either gonna love or hate. If you are an attraction nut, love to see how they work and enjoy getting into character to play along with the attraction theme/land theme, then you'll like attractions. Depending on where you end up, there are also some negative aspects. Especially if you end up at MK, you'll be dealing with a lot of guest complaints and situations. Any attraction with a height requirement of course requires you to check heights, so be prepared to deal with angry parents who are mad because their kid is less than a finger short. Attractions usually also work pretty long hours because park hours change a lot, especially at MK and Studios.

As long as you know what you are getting into and are ready for high guest volume and situations, you'll do fine in attractions.

P.S. I still work in attractions, so as you see, people do make it though the college program.

Yeah, what he said. I've worked in multiple lines of business and enjoyed them all, but I especially like Attractions. It can get repetitive, and height checks on attractions with height requirements can be a pain ("but, she's only *this* short of the line!"), but it can also be a lot of fun. It all depends on where you end up and what your fellow CMs are like.

 

[TheBeatles]

usually, it's the opposite. most CPs do NOT like food and beverage.

attractions is a lot of fun. you not only work with a ton of people your own age, but--depending on where you are-- you have the chance to interact with a lot of guests and play a part in the show.

i'm in attractions and fortunate enough to work three different ones and it's the most fun i've ever had on the job.

 

[joanna71985]

I love attractions. I've been in attractions since Aug 2009 (at 3 different ones), and it's the only role I applied for FT in

 

[Bennet21]

I'm so happy to hear all this! Thank you so much for your input.

Can I ask where you have been stationed before? Or where you recommend that I request to be placed? I know that just because you request to work somewhere doesn't mean you'll get it, but I'd just like to know where are the best and worst places to work, if you don't mind weighing in.

 

[joanna71985]

I did my 5th CP at Toy Story Mania, and currently working at GMR/MuppetVision. I love GMR. It's a great place to work (and MuppetVision is fun too).

Now, for the second part- this will really depend on the person. What one person loves working, other people hate. Some attractions that are pretty requested include Haunted Mansion, Tower of Terror, Jungle Cruise, and GMR to an extent

 

[Captain Hank]

Mission: SPACE and Kilimanjaro Safaris for me.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

My first attraction was Mission: SPACE at Epcot. Future World East attractions is a great area and I had a good time there. I still go back from time to time to pick up shifts.

From there I went to Frontierland attractions to work at Splash Mountain. In February I was cross-trained at Big Thunder Mountain. Frontierland is also an excellent area if you can handle the huge crowds and lots of guest situations.

Next week I am going to Hollywood Studios to be opening team on Star Tours: The Adventures Continue!

 

[elisatonks]

It purely depends on the person, i worked attractions during my cp and loved it, but i know people who hate it. If you thrive when you are always surrounded by guests and are happy to deal with very different situations from kids not being tall enough to lost children you will love it, if you don't like to much confrontation from guests then another area my be better for you.

I worked food and bev as the first part of my CP and it was a very different experience, and i preferred attractions.

I worked QSR at ABC Commissary, then went to fantasmic/pac/hsm ops, then went to MK Parking (where i moved up to trainer), before finally going to Main Street Trains. Like Thrill Seeker I go to Star Tours on Sunday.